a good mentor

having a first name of MIKE,,,,,,,,,,,
and a last name that ends in a vowel!!!

seriously~~~ check out the high hooks for the OTW leader board.
uncanny, to be sure. they share 3 things, imho ~~~

LOVE this GAME!!!
they have a degree of desire/passion/obsession that is GREAT.

THINK like a FISH!!!
years of hunting a beloved prey teaches you to get into their heads and KNOW them.

WORK smart and HARD!!!
combine the first two with the ability to get out there and apply them
with a focus and determination that never gives up until ALL 3 have been fully exhausted.

factor in the drive to be great, to be #1, and you are there. most of the Great Ones ~at anything~ that i've met have high standards for themselves and won't settle for second place, no matter what they do. especially so when it comes to their chosen discipline.

lastly, you could also be born with IT.
the IT Factor is huge,,,,,,,i believe that each of us is born to do something ~~GREAT!!! whether it be a Noble Laureate Writer, a 2nd Grade Teacher, a Teddy Ballgame, a Super Fire Chief, or the next Moses,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the truly Great Ones seem effortless as they turn a piece of wood into a Stradivarius and most of them are humbled by their own abilities and are willing to share what they realized long ago is a gift. we have, each of us, been blessed with talents that set us apart from the rest of the gene pool and puts us in our "element" when we engage ourselves in employing said talent.

some cats were just BORN to fish and they will outfish those around them, consistently; even on their worst day/night.

or a friend who is a great fisherman :biglaugh:

I have the honor of fishing with a couple absolutely great fishermen. It's the intuition that dumbfounds me.